Portable structure with linking pole

ABSTRACT

A portable structure has a first support pole forming a first arc, when ends of the first support pole rest on ground, and a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground. A curved linking pole crosses, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional patent application of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/536,095, filed Jan. 12, 2004 which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Portable structures such as tents are used in a variety of recreational and sporting activities. For some activities, the most desirable qualities of a tent are roominess and convenience; for other activities, the most desirable qualities are small size and light weight. Tents are typically supported by poles. For example, a tent made of fabric may be erected with poles either inside or outside the tent; and the fabric may connect with the poles at support points. The flexible fabric of the tent sags between the support points, leading to reduced space and impaired headroom in regions of the tent that are distant from support points.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a portable structure has a first support pole forming a first arc, when ends of the first support pole rest on ground, and a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground. A curved linking pole crosses, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.

In one embodiment, a clip attaches a pole to tent fabric. A base member couples with the tent fabric. Two end members and a top member rigidly couple with the base member, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to the pole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows one portable structure with a linking pole.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a tent using the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the tent of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows another portable structure with a linking pole.

FIG. 5 shows another portable structure with a linking pole.

FIG. 6 shows one tent including a portable structure.

FIG. 7 shows another portable structure with a linking pole.

FIG. 8 shows another portable structure with a linking pole.

FIG. 9 shows one clip for attaching tent fabric to a pole of a portable structure.

FIG. 10 shows an end view of the clip of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows first pole 12, second pole 14 and third pole 16 that form a portable structure 10. In structure 10, pole 16 may be considered a “linking” pole. Structure 10 is for example suitable to support tent fabric to form a tent. The ends of first pole 12 and second pole 14 are on a ground surface 18, and each form an arc, as shown. Linking pole 16 is, in the illustrated example, oval-shaped. First pole 12 crosses second pole 14 at crossing point 17. Linking pole 16 crosses support poles 12, 14 at crossing points 19, as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a tent 20, including poles 12, 14, and 16 of FIG. 1. Poles 12, 14, and 16 support tent fabric 22. First pole 12 and second pole 14 are, for example, segmented poles connected with a shock cord. Third pole 16 raises tent fabric 22 in areas of tent 20 that are not adjacent to poles 12 and 14, thus increasing the internal volume of tent 20. Any pole supported exclusively by other poles (e.g., pole 16) will be called a “linking pole” herein. Tent fabric 22 attaches to poles 12, 14, and 16 by multiple clips 24 (see FIG. 9). Poles 12 and 14 may also pass through sleeves 26 of tent 20.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of tent 20 of FIG. 2.

The use of a linking pole is not limited to a ring form, as in FIG. 1, where pole 16 connects with itself, thereby having no end as assembled. For example, FIG. 4 shows another portable structure 29 with a linking pole 36. Structure 29 also has a first pole 32 and a second pole 34. All three poles 32, 34, 36 may support a tent, as in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The ends of first pole 32 and second pole 34 are on a ground surface 38. First pole 32 supports the ends of linking pole 36, as shown; second pole 34 also supports linking pole 36 where linking pole 36 crosses second pole 34 at crossing point 37, as shown. Linking pole 36 thus supports tent fabric (not shown) to increase headroom in the regions where linking pole 36 is not adjacent to first and second poles 32 and 34 (in a manner similar to pole 16 supporting tent fabric 22 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3).

Other linking pole designs are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, FIG. 5 shows a first pole 42, a second pole 44, and a linking pole 46, which may cooperate to support a tent. The ends of first pole 42 and second pole 44 are on a ground surface 48. First pole 42 and second pole 44 support linking pole 46. FIG. 5 shows that third pole 46 is situated at an angle with respect to ground surface 48. As above, linking pole 46 supports a tent fabric in regions that are not adjacent to first and second poles 42 and 44 (in a manner similar to pole 16 supporting tent fabric 22 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). Other embodiments within the scope hereof utilize multiple linking poles.

FIG. 6 shows one tent 50 supported by first and second poles 52 and 54, and a linking pole 56. Tent fabric 58 attaches to poles 52, 54, and 56 with multiple clips 60 (only a few examples of clips 60 are labeled, for purposes of illustration). FIG. 6 identifies sections A, B, and C of tent 50. Each of these sections is a quadrant of the tent, bounded by first and second poles 52 and 54. Section A is completely visible, sections B and C are partially visible, while section D is completely hidden. Linking pole 56 has a discontinuous bend 62 (i.e. discontinuous bend 62 is a sharper bend in linking pole 56 than in the other parts of linking pole 56 visible in FIG. 6). Linking pole 56 also bends discontinuously as it traverses hidden section D. Discontinuous bend 62 of linking pole 56, and the corresponding bend as linking pole 56 traverses hidden section D, serve to increase the height of linking pole 56 and lift tent fabric 58 as it traverses sections B and C, and thereby increase the internal volume within tent 50.

One skilled in the art of tent design will appreciate that other embodiments of a linking pole may have integrated discontinuous bends, corners, or other features, to lift (or lower) tent fabric in selected regions, as matters of design choice. Tent fabric or other features may also be configured in various ways to match the use of linking poles, including linking poles with integrated bends or corners. For example, a linking pole may extend upward as it traverses a particular region of a tent, and the tent fabric may be configured in this region to match the geometry of the linking pole, creating extra space inside the tent. The extra space inside the tent may be used for increased headroom, or may be used in other ways, such as for storage features.

Integration of bends, corners, and other features into a tent pole (e.g., a linking pole) may require that one or more sections of the tent pole always face a certain direction. However, typical shock-corded tent pole sections are radially symmetric about a cord, and the joints between sections may rotate when a torque is applied. In one embodiment, therefore, a tent pole includes keyed joints, wherein each joint of the pole includes mechanical features that allow assembly of the joint in only one orientation, thereby keeping all sections of the pole in the orientation in which they are assembled. One example of a tent pole with keyed joints is a tent pole in which joints (and optionally sections) are not circular in cross section.

FIG. 7 shows a first pole 63, a second pole 64, and a linking pole 66, which may cooperate to support a tent. The ends of first pole 63 and second pole 64 are on a ground surface 68. Linking pole 66 crosses first pole 63 and second pole 64 at crossing points 67. First pole 63 and second pole 64 support linking pole 66 at crossing points 67, as shown.

FIG. 8 shows a pole 71, a pole 72, a pole 73, a pole 74, and a linking pole 75, forming a portable structure suitable to support a tent. One end each of poles 71, 72, 73, 74 are on a ground surface 78. A connector 76A connects pole 71, pole 72, and pole 75; a connector 76B likewise connects pole 73, pole 74, and pole 75. Pole 71 and pole 72 are equal in length; pole 73 and 74 are also equal in length but are shorter than poles 71 and 72. The poles shown in FIG. 8 may support a tent that is low at an end corresponding to poles 73 and 74, taller at an end corresponding to poles 71 and 72, and taller still between connectors 76A and 76B. This configuration enables, for example, a relatively tall door to open in the side of a tent (for easy access), while keeping the tent low at both ends.

The manner in which a tent fabric connects with a tent pole may affect the structural integrity of the tent. FIG. 9 shows a clip 80 for attaching tent fabric to a tent pole. Clip 80 includes a base member 82, end members 84A and 84B, and a top member 86. Arrow 87 shows the length of base member 82 between end members 84A and 84B. Clip 80 may be assembled from component pieces such as, for example, a metal base and another element forming the end members and top member. Alternatively, clip 80 may be a monolithic element. The end members may be made of a relatively rigid but preferably not brittle material such as, for example, acetal or polycarbonate.

When a tent uses clip 80, base member 82 may attach to tent fabric in various ways that will be apparent to one skilled in the art of tent design. One way of attaching clip 80 to a tent is to enclose base member 82 within the tent fabric such that substantially all of the length of base member 82 is enclosed, leaving end members 84A, 84B and top member 86C outside the tent fabric. When a tent including clip 80 is erected, a user engages clip 80 to a tent pole (e.g., snaps pole 16 into one of clips 24, FIG. 2) by pushing clip 80 in the direction of arrow 88. End members 84A and 84B bend enough to slip the tent pole through the lengthwise opening and into a cavity bounded by end members 84A and 84B. When a user takes down a tent that uses clip 80, he or she reverses the clipping sequence by grasping top member 86 and pulling clip 80 off the tent pole in the reverse direction of arrow 88. Top member 86 may be adapted for convenient gripping by human fingers, in various ways as a matter of design choice. Adaptation of top member 86 for gripping by fingers is particularly helpful when disengaging clip 80 from a tent pole.

By design, the size of the cavity bounded by end members 84A, 84B matches the size of a tent pole that clip 80 attaches to, so that when engaged to the pole, clip 80 holds the tent pole firmly and does not rotate around the tent pole. As the lengths of base member 82 and top member 86 separate end members 84A and 84B, clip 80 also serves to clasp tent fabric against a tent pole along the length of the clip, instead of at a single point. The length of the clip may vary as a matter of design choice; for example, the distance between the end members may be between about 25 mm and 150 mm. The combination of non-rotation of clip 80 about a tent pole, and the clasping of tent fabric along the length of clip 80, contributes to the structural integrity of a tent.

FIG. 10 shows an end view of clip 80. Clip 80 has a low profile; that is, it holds attached tent fabric close to a tent pole rather than dangling the tent fabric at a distance from the pole. FIG. 10 shows end member 84B (end member 84A is hidden behind end member 84B). FIG. 10 also shows the location of base member 82 (also hidden in the current view). Arrow 89 shows the distance between the underside of end member 84B and the top of base member 82. The ratio of the length arrow 87 in FIG. 9 to the length of arrow 89 in FIG. 10 (herein called the “attachment aspect ratio”) may be high; for example, as a matter of design choice the attachment aspect ratio may vary from 1.5:1 to 10:1. The low profile of clip 80 allows poles that hold a tent of a given size to be shorter (and lighter in weight) than poles designed to attach to the same tent by higher-profile clips, and the high attachment aspect ratio improves the structural integrity of a tent using clip 80.

One skilled in the art of tent design will appreciate that the design of clip 80 may be modified in other ways without departing from the spirit and scope presented herein. For example, if linking poles (or any tent poles) are modified to constrain the orientation of bends and corners in the poles during use, then clip 80 may be modified to clip to the modified poles. Other changes may likewise be made in the portable structures and poles described herein without departing from the scope hereof.

It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. 

1. A portable structure, comprising: a first support pole forming a first arc when ends of the first support pole rest on ground; a second support pole forming a second arc, crossing the first arc, when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground; and a curved linking pole crossing, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
 2. The portable structure of claim 1, the linking pole being oval-shaped and extending circumferentially about both the first and second support poles.
 3. The portable structure of claim 1, the curved linking pole having first and second ends attached to the first support pole such that the curved linking pole crosses the second support pole.
 4. The portable structure of claim 1, further comprising tent fabric coupled with the first and second support poles, and the curved linking pole, to form a tent with increased internal volume as compared to a tent without the curved linking pole.
 5. The support structure of claim 4, the curved linking pole forming two discontinuous bends such that the linking pole lifts the tent fabric in selected regions.
 6. The support structure of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of clips attaching the tent fabric to the poles, each of the clips having (a) a base member, held by the tent fabric, (b) two end members and (c) a top member, the base member, top member and side members being rigidly connected, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to one of the poles.
 7. The support structure of claim 6, the base member, two end members and top member being constructed as a monolithic element of common material bendable to accommodate engagement to, and disengagement from, the one pole.
 8. The support structure of claim 7, the common material comprising one of polycarbonate and acetal.
 9. A portable structure, comprising: a first support pole forming a first arc when ends of the first support pole rest on ground; a second support pole forming a second arc when ends of the second support pole rest on the ground; and a curved linking pole crossing, off of the ground, at least one of the first and second arcs.
 10. A clip for attaching a pole to tent fabric, comprising: a base member for coupling with the tent fabric; two end members; and a top member, the base member, top member and end members being rigidly connected, wherein a cavity is formed by the members for attachment to the pole.
 11. The clip of claim 10, the base member, two end members and top member being constructed as a monolithic element of common material bendable to accommodate engagement to, and disengagement from, the pole.
 12. The clip of claim 10, the base member and top member having a length that is about two times larger than a width of the pole.
 13. The clip of claim 10, the top member being adapted for gripping by human fingers.
 14. The clip of claim 10 wherein a distance between the two end members is greater than 25 mm.
 15. The clip of claim 10 wherein the base member, top member, and end members are configured with an attachment aspect ratio greater than 1.5:1. 